


In These Arms, Part V: If I Were A Bartender And You Were A Captain

by mrpicard



Series: Star Trek: TNG - In These Arms [5]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: 24th century strip club, Andorian, Fluff, Hamburg Reeperbahn, M/M, Nausicaan, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-14 17:59:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3420239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrpicard/pseuds/mrpicard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shore leave can be quite overwhelming.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This part actually started out as a series of loose ficlets that were supposed to be "side ficlets" that were to serve as an addition to the main arc. When I re-read them I realized that they make a cute little story all on their own, so I decided to put them together and turn them into a (shorter) part of this whole arc.
> 
> This part is set about four years after the previous one.

 

" _Captain's personal log, supplemental. The Enterprise has returned to Earth for a much-needed system upgrade that will take a few days to complete. I have granted every shore leave request I received - and this time I have even taken the liberty of submitting one myself._ "

  
"Are you sure we haven't arrived at a bad time?" Picard asked and looked around uneasily.

Alex and he were standing in Hamburg's biggest red light district street, the Reeperbahn. It was late at night and yet there were people everywhere, some in a hurry, others slowly walking around - but all of them looking for something they knew they would not find anywhere else in the entire European Alliance.

"Of course I am. It's a normal weekend night," Alex said cheerfully. "You've been here before, why are you so nervous now?"

"I'm not nervous. I'm just... not used to this place anymore."

"Forget that you're a starship captain for once, will you? Just be Jean-Luc - that's what shore leave is for, after all." Alex put his hand on Picard's shoulder. "And besides, you _did_ want to see my former workplace. Come on."

He took his lover's hand and pulled him with him to a nearby strip club. It looked rather old-fashioned with its neon lights and the huge pictures of naked men and women on the darkened windows, and yet Picard could not help appreciating the rather nostalgic charm. The club's door provided a stark contrast; it was surprisingly unspectacular - what was _not,_ however, was the gigantic Nausicaan who was standing in front of it.

"Frrk!" Alex exclaimed. "I had no idea you still work here!"

The Nausicaan glared at him - and then he actually _smiled_ when he realized who was talking to him.

"Alex," he barked in a deep, hoarse voice. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Just visiting. You gonna let us in?"

The Nausicaan glared at Picard. "Who's he?"

"Oh. Sorry. My manners. Frrk, this is Jean-Luc Picard. Jean-Luc, meet Frrk, our trusted Nausicaan bouncer."

"Good evening!" Frrk extended his huge hand and Picard had no other choice than to take it - but, much to his surprise, the touch was almost gentle. "You're not going to cause any trouble, are you?"

"Of course not," Picard assured him quickly and had to resist the urge to look at his hand in oder to make sure that it was actually really still intact after having been shaken _gently_ by a _Nausicaan_.

"Good. You two go on and have fun," Frrk rumbled and opened the door behind him.

"Thanks, my friend." Alex briefly bumped Frrk's shoulder with his fist and then pulled Picard with him through the door.


	2. Chapter 2

"Nicest Nausicaan I've ever known," Alex remarked while he and Picard walked through a rather long dark corridor.

"I have never associated the term 'nice' with _Nausicaans_."

"Neither have I - at least not until I met Frrk. He's been on Earth for decades, I guess that's why he's become accustomed to human standards of courtesy. Still, I wouldn't cross him. I once watched him deal with a customer who had harassed one of our dancers. The man had to be treated in a medical facility. Human standards or not, Frrk's still a Nausicaan. And a pretty damn good bouncer."

"I don't doubt that for a second," Picard muttered and followed Alex through a red satin curtain into the main part of the club.

It was rather dark, except for the spotlight that was shining on dancers of various species who had one thing in common while they moved around on the small stages that had been set up for them: They were all stark naked. The music was loud, but not _too_ loud - this was not a club that wanted for its customers to be quiet.

Alex took Picard's hand again and pulled him with him to the bar where a young male Andorian in a tux was filling a row of cocktail glasses in one single move without spilling a drop.

"Thoril!"

The Andorian looked up - and almost dropped the bottle that he was holding. "Alex?!" He put the bottle down, leaned over the bar and hugged his old friend briefly. "What are _you_ doing here? I thought you were up in space in your Eleven Forward bar...?"

"I normally am, but we're on shore leave at the moment, so, I thought I'd come by and see how the club is doing."

" _And_ you brought the ultimate reason for your hasty departure with you." Thoril smiled broadly at Picard, who briefly took the Andorian's outstretched hand. "Jean-Luc Picard."

"Thoril. Just Thoril. No matter our species, we bartenders always only have one name."

"A fact that continues to intrigue me," Picard replied and glanced at Alex.

"Well, the whole thing might change at some point for Alex," Thoril beamed. "You guys got any plans of getting married?"

"None that we'd be telling _you_ about," Alex retorted. "How are things going here?"

"Fine, just fine," Thoril said and handed the cocktails to a waiter. "In fact, you couldn't have picked a better night. Full house, the dancers are really motivated and the pleasure holosuites are all filled already - but I'll see to it that you get a table right in front of Tower. He'll be _so_ thrilled  to see you!"

Alex frowned. "Tow's still here? I thought he'd be in Hollywood by now."

"He got a few offers but turned them all down - he loves St. Pauli too much. You know how good all his admirers here are for his fragile ego." Thoril turned towards another waiter who had just arrived at the bar with a whole bunch of empty glasses in his hands. "Kev, get Alex and his guest the best table in Tower territory, will you?"

"Tower?" Picard rumbled into Alex' ear.

Alex waved his hand. "You'll understand when you see him."


	3. Chapter 3

 

The man was perfect in every sense of the word. Extremely fit, an endless amount of muscles, thin chest hair and sparkling blue eyes. And if that wasn't enough already he also danced with incredible accuracy, always hitting the exact angles to display the huge erection under his rather tight g-string.

Picard stared at him in complete and utter disbelief - sure, he had seen his share of good-looking men but never one like this. It was fascinating and yet also incredibly unnerving because, according to Alex, the young bartender had not just worked side by side with the dancer, no, they had also shared _a bed_ for quite a while.

"Isn't he gorgeous?" Alex asked from right next to him.

"He is rather attractive, yes."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Come on. I can tell when you're irritated."

"No, really, he's quite beautiful."

"It bothers you that he and I have a bit of a history, right?"

Picard shrugged.

"It was more like a very intimate friendship. Tower took care of me when I arrived here - he helped me getting over my mother's rather insistent calls about me coming back home and finishing my studies. He was always there for me even though he had his own share of problems. Somehow they only made him stronger, though."

Picard glanced once more at the erection between the dancer's legs. "He... erm... has a rather strong presence indeed. In more than one regard."

"He always has a boner when he dances," Alex explained. "It's his trademark - and also why he's called Tower. His real name is actually Georg. He's quite shy, in fact."

"I wouldn't have thought so," Picard said dryly, feeling a sudden rush of intense jealousy. **  
**

Alex watched him as closely as it was possible in the semi-darkness. "You don't like any of this."

"I like it fine."

"No, you don't. Not with Tower up there."

"I did want to visit your former workplace, and I was prepared to run into people from your past. That includes former lovers."

"That isn't all of it, is it?" Alex asked softly. "It's this place. You feel uncomfortable here."

Picard sighed. "It's... rather different from the environment I'm used to these days. It reminds me of the difference in age between us, actually. Don't get me wrong, I do think it's rather interesting to visit your past, I... simply didn't realize that it would be this drastic an experience."

Alex briefly squeezed his lover's hand. "Then let's go."

Picard frowned. "No, I don't want you to leave because of me. You wanted to see your former colleagues."

"Oh, don't worry. They know what it's like when you don't have the time or nerve to hang around for too long. Besides, I doubt Tower and you would get along very well. I wouldn't want to visit you in Hamburg's medical facility after you got a serious message from Frrk about how wrong it is to yell at our most popular human male dancer."

"I would prefer to avoid that situation as well," Picard confirmed.

"Then how about a quiet walk through Berlin with no Frrk anywhere in sight?"

"I would like that very much."


	4. Chapter 4

 

The nightly sight of the illuminated Brandenburg Gate was - as always - very impressive, not only because of its size but also because of its function as a reminder of the rather troubled past of the city it was standing in. It was a miracle that it had survived three world wars, and yet here it still was, looking the same way it had looked for centuries.  
  
"You know, I've actually never been to Berlin before," Picard said softly, as if not to disturb the nightly silence around the Gate. "I've never really taken the time."  
  
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Really? I'd have thought you came here when you were in school. Our history teachers took us to Paris twice because of the legendary relationship between Germany and France. They never stopped telling us how French schools did the same thing with Berlin."  
  
"We did have a trip scheduled several times," Picard confirmed. "However, something always came up and we never went. I remember being quite disappointed every single time because I always enjoyed visiting Germany and would have loved to see its capital city, too."  
  
"I loved visiting France as well. I've always had a lot of respect for France and its culture. Growing up right next to it will do that to you, I guess."  
  
"Maybe I sensed that respect on the day we met already - remember when I came to see you in Eleven Forward after you had started your very first shift? Somehow I knew right from the start that you were quite a fascinating young man."  
  
"That fascination was quite mutual, I can assure you that," Alex remarked sheepishly.  
  
Picard chuckled. "Oh yes, that glass-breaking crush of yours."  
  
"It was embarrassing."  
  
"It was _flattering_." Picard slowly took his lover's hand. "And somehow it still is."  
  
"Oh, please..."  
  
"No, really, I mean it." Picard paused for a second before he continued. "By the way... I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"The incident in the club. The whole thing should not have rattled me the way it did."  
  
Alex briefly squeezed Picard's hand. "It's my fault as well. I should have told you a lot more in advance."  
  
"That wasn't the actual issue."  
  
"Hmm... let me guess, it was the whole age gap thing it reminded you of, right?"  
  
Picard sighed. "Yes."  
  
"Would it help you to know that I wouldn't want to work in that club again?"  
  
"No?"  
  
"No. I think these days I need something a bit more... quiet. I'm getting older as well, you know."  
  
Picard smiled. "It isn't such a bad thing. Getting older, I mean."  
  
"I tend to agree," Alex smiled back and the two men slowly began to walk towards the Gate in silence, still holding hands.


	5. Chapter 5

Picard leaned back against the tree under which he was sitting, closed his eyes and then took a deep breath before opening them again. "Alexander?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you enjoy the last two days here in LaBarre?"

Alex, who was lying on the grass with his arms crossed behind his head, opened an eye. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

"Of course I've enjoyed it here. The vineyard is beautiful and I really hate the idea of having to leave tonight. But then, I already told you that several times."

"I guess you did," Picard muttered and continued to fidget with a grass stalk that he had ripped out a few minutes ago.

Alex opened his other eye as well and turned his head. "What's wrong?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You're in a rather strange mood. And you're nervous."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"Oh, come on. You may be able to fool your crew and all the aliens up there in space, but not _me_."  
  
Picard stared at the grass stalk. "It'll never cease to amaze me how well you know me."  
  
"That wasn't an answer to my question."  
  
"You're right, it wasn't." Picard took a deep breath and threw the grass stalk away. "I... I don't even know how to say this."  
  
Alex sat up and put his hand on his lover's arm. "Just go right ahead. But whatever it is that you want to say, just say it. You know how much I hate beating around the bush. Don't be a diplomat for once. Please?"  
  
"Yes, but this particular question requires a lot of... erm... sensitivity, and..."  
  
"Jean-Luc...!"  
  
"Sorry. Alright." Picard gently pulled the young bartender closer until they were looking right into each other's eyes. "Alexander, we've been together for almost four years now and... I couldn't imagine my life without you... so, I was wondering if we should... get married?"  
  
Alex gaped at him in complete and utter shock. " _Married_?!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you this, you're so much younger than I am -"  
  
"Wait," Alex gasped. "Just... let this one sink in for a second, okay?"  
  
"You don't have to answer right away, if you want some time to think about it I'd be happy to -"  
  
Alex raised his hand. "No, I _want_ to answer. Just let me find the right words. You know that I'm better at listening than talking, at least when it comes to this kind of thing." He took a few deep breaths before he continued. "I guess it's quite logical... we spend a lot of our free time together, we attend all those fancy diplomatic dinners together that neither of us actually wants to go to, we even managed to move in together and haven't killed one another so far and now we're on shore leave together... in short, the whole marriage idea would only confirm what we both know is true - that we want to stay together." He looked up and smiled slightly at Picard. "I think that, in a way, I'm already used to the idea of us being husband and husband."  
  
"Does that mean -"  
  
"It does." Alex put his hand on Picard's cheek. "I agree. We _should_ get married."

Picard breathed in deeply and then leaned forward so that his forehead touched Alex'. "You have no idea how relieved I am right now."

"I am just as relieved," Alex muttered. "I mean you were behaving rather strangely. I was wondering just what the hell was going on with you."

"I was mentally preparing for all this."

"You mean you were preparing for a 'no'."

"Partly, yes."

Silence.

"We need to plan the wedding ceremony," Picard remarked.

"Jean-Luc, we just managed to agree on getting married. And besides, there isn't much to plan. I'll gladly hand over Eleven Forward, we'll get a nice admiral to quickly marry us and then things will just continue the way they have always been... right?"

"Not quite," Picard sighed. "You forget that I'm the captain of the Federation's flagship. The whole thing is going to come with a lot of honored guests, speeches, Starfleet admirals... we can't just have a small ceremony aboard the Enterprise in a remote sector."

"Why not? Since when do _you_ give a damn about offending the brass?"

"Alexander, this isn't the same as finding new excuses for staying away from the Annual Admiral's Banquet."

The young bartender raised an index finger. "You're basing this whole chain of events on one single premise: That we will tell everyone about us being engaged, which will indeed lead to the conclusions you're drawing. But - change the premise, change the conclusions."

Picard frowned. "So what you're saying is that we shouldn't tell anyone that we want to get married? How is that supposed to work?"

"Don't you know anyone at Headquarters who outranks you and can keep their mouth shut for a few weeks?"

"Hmm. I suppose I could pull in one or two favors from an old friend..."

"Do that. And I run Eleven Forward - what goes on in there is _my_ business. I'll just close it for a few hours on that day."

"We can't do that," Picard said sternly. "The crew _has_ to know."

"Okay. We'll tell them on the same day, shortly before it happens. They can all come or watch through the ship's intercom. And then your admiral friend who just happens to be aboard marries us and the brass will learn of it _way_ after it happened. No one's going to be offended that they weren't invited because no one even knew it would happen. It was a spontaneous decision."

"Neither of us is known for being 'spontaneous'. They _will_ suspect that we had planned this all along."

"So what? It'll be too late for them to complain."

"I don't know..."

"You want a Starfleet brass wedding with full coverage on the Federation News Network?"

Picard made a face. "No."

"Exactly. This is _our_ wedding, and, flagship or not, we have the right to do it the way _we_ want it to do."

Picard ran his hand over his bald head. "If only it were that simple..."

"It _can_ be."

"Well... I'll see what I can arrange for but I can't promise anything."

Alex smiled. "That's all I wanted to hear."


End file.
